Leaf-Blown Fox
by Myst Youkai
Summary: When given very little choice in matters, you naturally turn to what you're best at. Perhaps you're good at punching your problems, mediating them, or confusing everything to your advantage. A rare method is to conquer everything with old sayings and cryptic wisdom... But it's only rare because old people don't have time for that sort of thing. Some OCs. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Two fox youkai stand on a hill, looking into the distance. Both are closely on the bestial side of foxes, being little more than larger, anthropomorphic versions with clothes, and both are male. One is well-built and alert, and has a thin, long sword in his belt, with bright orange fur He wears a simple green vest and blue, baggy pants. The other is old, his eyes closed with a mischievous smile. He holds a single long plant stalk with a fuzzy cattail on the end. He stands straight, but somehow manages to look as if he is bent over, with gray, slightly silvered fur. He wears a green vest that covers his shoulder and back, but leaves the chest open, and the bottom part to a green kimono.

"Ken?" Speaks the old one, taking a sip out of a teacup he holds in his hand. His eyes do not open, nor does he turn to face his friend.

"Yeah?" The warrior, on the other hand, turns his head to look straight at the elder, searching his always-neutral face for clues.

"Do I look old?"

Ken hesitates. He's not terribly used to thinking; most of his problems can be solved by hitting them hard enough. Of course, this is why he comes to see the elder; he needs to think _some_times.

"Well… You're certainly not vain…" He replies, uncertainly.

The old one chuckles. "Oh, I'm very vain."

"What? But look at you, your fur is getting silvery, you've got a scar over one eye, you're carrying a cattail, you're a little stooped over, y-"

"Exactly. It's very difficult to properly look elderly."

Ken's brow furrows in consternation. "I don't understand."

The old one grins. "We elders put great stock in looking the way we should. When you're young, you want to look young. When you're old, you want to be a paragon of wisdom, to be respected. And to get away with things because you're old. And so, I am indeed quite vain. I could look young if I wanted. It would be less effort."

Ken stares at the distance for a bit, the effort of thinking clear on his face. Finally, his brain decides it didn't sign up for this.

"But that doesn't make any sense!" He nearly wails.

The elder gently touches him with the cattail. It's been commonly accepted that doing this has all the force of a lecture without the waste of time that so perturbs young people. They listen better, and the lecturer saves her or his voice. Better for all sides.

"Maybe." Says the old one, as he takes another sip.

Ken groans. He dreads the word "maybe". His old friend has more or less mastered use of the word.

"Your purpose in life is just to torment me, isn't it?"

_Sip_ "Of course not."

"Then w-"

"There are plenty of other young people besides you. What do you think I do in my spare time?" _Sip_

Ken sighs. "I don't know, flirt with girls maybe?" He says sarcastically.

"Yes, actually. I used to get around quite a lot, still do." _Sip_

Ken's eyes widen. "I'm sorry, that's disgusting."

"You think so? Have you ever seen a picture of me when I was concerned with looking young?" _Sip _"Used to have vixens chasing me."

"What, seriously?"

The elder hands him a picture. A fox with slightly paled fur with a quarterstaff and turquoise eyes gazes back. Lean and lithe, a definite fighter.

"And that's you? Who took the picture?" Asks Ken.

_Sip _"A pretty young vixen wanted it. I simply asked if I could have a copy."

"Seriously?"

"Maybe."

"Look, Chitazura… Chitazura? Hello? Ah, where'd he go now…"

_Anywhere_

The old fox, although dropped, lands lightly on one paw. He holds his cattail stalk like a rapier as he looks around. (Curiously, his eyes stay closed, continually the delicate curves of a fox)

"It's considered rude to enter the home of one you don't know. If you were forced in, though, it's the fault of the owner."

He hears a giggle, and a female voice replies. "I'm well aware of your traditions. But Gensokyo's currently running a bit low as far as traditional fox youkai are concerned, so you're perfect. Have a nice trip~"

Another gap opens, and the old one falls yet again…

_Wind Forest, Mangetsu_

Ken runs haphazard back to the village square, and bursts into the leader's home.

"Chitazura's disappeared! I can't sense him anywhere!"

There is a silence. It is the kind acquired when something important is interrupted by another important thing. That is, all minds concerned come screeching to a halt and try to figure out what they should be doing.

Finally, an old fox with silver fur and a big stick speaks. "Then find someone who can find him. He is far from helpless, after all. We will leave this to you."

Ken nods, happy to not have to do the thinking himself, and runs off to punch his way to the first place he comes up with.

_Gensokyo, Human Village_

Though dropped out of a gap, and falling many feet, Chitazura once again lands lightly, even gracefully, on one paw. Unfortunately, he does so in the center of the village. At first, there is a scare, and then an authoritative blue figure walks towards him.

"I'm Keine Kamishirasawa, and I protect this village. Who are you and where did you come from?"

Chitazura smiles kindly, and bows. "My deepest apologies for dropping in, miss Kamishirasawa. I didn't have much choice in the matter. My name is Chitazura, an old fox youkai." He holds his cattail gently in both hands, letting it bob up and down in the wind over one shoulder.

Keine seems to relax slightly, and turns a bit to address the village. "It's alright; he was spirited here against his will. I'll escort him out." With that, she wastes no time in taking the fox's hand (He switches the cattail to his tail, which manages to hold it) and takes one step before hesitating.

"Are you able to walk well enough?"

Chitazura grins. "My speed is well enough equal and beyond."

Keine takes only a few seconds to decipher this. "Good, then." Despite this, she takes a normal walking pace out of the village.

Chitazura looks around, (Yes, even though his eyes are still closed.) memorizing his surroundings. It strikes him as particularly lush, cared-for. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing after all. He could do with looking young again, perhaps…

…_Ah my, that's quite a shrine…_


	2. Chapter 2

Chitazura looked up. And up. And up.

Sitting there, on top of a mountain with an impossibly long staircase bordered by trees, was a torii gate. Presumably, there was a shrine behind it, as there was a little sign at the foot of the steps proclaiming that ahead was the Hakurei Shrine.

"You should be fine from here." Said Keine. "Reimu's usually kind of sedentary when it comes to youkai, unless they cause a problem… But all the same, you might want to bring a dona-"

Keine got no farther, as Chitazura was then immediately attacked by a figure in red and white. And purple. She fired numerous orbs of energy directly at him, and in response, Chitazura leapt straight up, drawing his cattail reed from his tail like a sword and landing nimbly on the first step of the staircase.

"Ima kon en us tik!" Technically nonsense, Chitazura knew, but it was always fun to see the look on an opponent's face when you made something up. Especially when you did that, swung a harmless reed at them, and they actually flinched.

Long enough for you to run up, say, a really long staircase.

Many people, including Chitazura himself, always said it was a bad idea to run up or down stairs. Generally the people who say this do so from negative experience. Such is true here; the difference being Chitazura had done it so often he'd learned how. He breezed up the staircase at high speed, being chased by the laughing woman. At the very top, he leapt on to the torii gate, and from there straight at…

…Someone he presumed was Reimu, which meant this was probably about to get worse.

"Spirit Sign: Fantasy Seal!"

A bunch of large colored orbs came out of thin air. Chitazura had been hoping he wouldn't have to use his paranatural tricks, but oh well.

"Elderly Fox: All The Chickens."

With that, Chitazura momentarily splits into many tiny versions of himself, which all get shot to the ground, land on their feet, and run past Reimu into the shrine, where Chitazura reforms.

Dusting himself off, the old fox looks around. At the right of the room was a china cabinet with a beautiful tea set within that, strangely, is chained up and covered with charms. At the left, the wall was indented to make room for a simple kitchen. There was a simple kotatsu in the middle of the floor, on top of a straw mat. At the back of the shrine was a hallway to the right, branching in to two rooms, one with a futon and one with a shrine. A hallway on the opposite side led to a single built-in-the-floor tub that also served as a back porch, as it was open on two walls to the outside.

There had been a couple more explosions outside, and then the weary shrine maiden came back in and slumped into the kotatsu. She lifted her head, and her eyes went wide when she saw Chitazura sitting serenely at the other end.

"Tea, miss Hakurei?" Offered the old fox, holding out a curiously-styled teacup with a steaming hazel liquid in it.

Reimu thought for a moment. On one hand, this would mean another youkai around the shrine. On the other hand, THIS one had tea AND his own teacup, as opposed to being drunk, spying on her, stealing everything, or eating everything.

"Yes, thank you." She took the cup delicately and sipped slowly, as if afraid it would disappear. She regarded him warily, all the same. It was a little strange; his eyes were closed, but Reimu was sure his eyes were fixed on her. Besides that, he had a friendly, calm aura that she found was given off by anyone she'd beaten up during an incident. She peered closely at the old fox, trying to remember if he'd been annoying at some point so at least she could have something to complain about.

"My name is Chitazura Fujisa." Stated the old fox pleasantly. "Tell me, is it usual for people to appear within this world of yours out of nowhere?"

Reimu sighed. Please, _please_ not again… "Only when Yukari gaps someone in. Why?"

"Ah, well, does Yukari have blonde hair, a big purple dress, and an umbrella?"

"Yes. She does." Reimu got up, fury swirling in her brown eyes, though she looked calm. "But not for much longer."

Chitazura sipped some of his tea. "Maybe, but it seems you have visitors raring for a fight."

Reimu looked outside, and groaned as Yuugi and Suika stomped up the stairs to the shrine, drunk and roaring various obscenities.

"Why don't I deal with them?"

Reimu looked back at the fox in exasperation. "What, you expect to beat a couple of drunk oni? And besides, what does that accomplish?"

Chitazura smiled. "Simple. If you beat them, they'll still trash your shrine since you're familiar. If I fight them, they'll be too busy making my acquaintance whether I win or lose, which leaves time for you to get this Yukari. If that's not enough, consider my caring for this to be payment for dealing with Yukari."

And with that, the old fox takes a slow sip of tea as he watches the shrine maiden look slowly over the horizon.

. . . "If anything breaks, you're paying for it." And off went the red-white!

Chitazura meticulously straightened his cattail, balanced it over his shoulder, and went out to meet the oni.

"I'm definitely going to have to try and look younger. Everyone around here is so rambunctious; one of those places where a fight is the same as a courteous greeting." His face scrunched a bit in a grin. "I think I'm going to like it here."


End file.
